January 2006 Newsletter
President's
Thank-you Notes
We have many friends and members to thank for their help and assistance in making our fall treatment successful. Thanks go to Fife Lake Hardware for the use of their spreader and to Hayes Manufacturing for their assistance with mailing and mapping. Thanks to Fife Lake Small Engine Repair for the use of the barge and Wilson's Sporting Goods for storing the barge. Thanks to Jim Abram, Tim Chartier, and Lyle Spalding for lending their manpower and pontoon boats. Thanks to Denny Meyer and his mapping crew and to those who helped to apply the chemical: Jerry Cherwinski, Ed Hungness, Archis TerHaar and Ernie Thompson. Also, thanks to anyone else who helped but whose name has escaped me. You know who you are and we appreciate you all. -Al Galloway, President
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Notes
from the treatment committee
The most difficult hurdle FLLPOA has encountered is accurately identifying the extent of our milfoil problem. As most already know, we greatly underestimated how much milfoil we needed to treat this past spring. This WAS largely because we had no map going into the spring season. We treated only what we could see and map in April. What we didn't know was how much lay on the bottom. Our milfoil projection for the 2006 treatment varied between 150 and 300 acres, depending on whom you asked. But thanks to Martin Miller, his expertise with a GPS, and Hayes Manufacturing's CAP system, we now know that, at the end of the 2005 boating season, our milfoil map showed 183 acres requiring treatment in the spring 2006. Treating the full 183 acres at once offers our best chance for success in ridding our lake of the invasive nuisance weed.
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Continuing
fundraising efforts
Now that we know how much chemical we will need for spring, our short-term financial goals are more in focus. Fred Joles has taken the lead as Chairperson of the Finance Committee and has approached the impacted government entities requesting they consider milfoil treatment in their coming budget cycles. Fred has also appointed to write for grants in the name of both townships for milfoil treatment. Thanks to Fred for stepping up for FLLPOA.
Fundraising efforts are also moving forward with the assistance of the Fife Lake Chamber of Commerce
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Go
Fish!!
Would you buy a fish to "Save our Lake"? You'll soon have the opportunity to do just that. In the restaurants and business all over the area, Fife Lake Chamber of Commerce members will be selling fish to save our lake. In a great show of support for the FLLPOA, the chamber has agreed to subsidize fundraising effort by making the fish available. You can buy a fish in your name, one for each of you kids and grandkids, and have their names placed on a fish to save Fife Lake. Proceeds go to FLLPOA for milfoil treatment. We can't thank the Chamber of Commerce enough. Now… GO FISH!
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Fiscal
History Recap & Goal
Since our formation last February, we have received $8,250 in dues. Donations from members, friends and the impacted governmental units total an additional $35,250. Major expenses include $500 for the 2005 treatment permit, $285 for insurance, and $31,164 for chemicals. We have purchased 145 bags of chemical at the 2005 price and have put it in storage for the spring treatment to treat the entire 183 acres of milfoil in May, we must purchase 11,050 lbs. More, at the 2006 price, which may be as high as $3/lbs. (an additional $31,150) Our financial goals for 2006 also include costs to do a follow-up treatment, if possible, in September. We have much to do before mid April so please get your dues in early.
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Tax
Assessment District Possible
We continue to pursue a possible special tax assessment district to help pay for milfoil treatment. Your board of Directors is committed to assisting both Springfield and Fife Lake township with the formation of a Lake Board (for the purpose of protecting the future health of Fife Lake). It may be some time before any Lake Board can take over the stewardship of Fife Lake, so we continue to pursue private donations and dues in the interim.
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